


Hot Neighbor

by Ambear9



Series: Chuck vs Alternate Universes [4]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25714513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambear9/pseuds/Ambear9
Relationships: Chuck Bartowski/John Casey
Series: Chuck vs Alternate Universes [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071011
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Hot Neighbor

Chuck turned his music down when he thought he heard a knock at the door, he was right. He wiped the cheese puff dust off his fingers onto his sweatpants and answered the door.  
“Um hello?”  
“Here is your pizza”  
“I didn’t order a pizza”  
“According to the notes, it’s a gift and already paid for”  
“Okay” Chuck grabbed his wallet out of the basket on top of the small table next to the door and handed the guy a tip “Thanks”  
Chuck sat the box on his small kitchen table and opened the lid “Supreme, nice” he grabbed a beer from the fridge and the pizza and went back to his couch that was only a few steps away. When he first moved into the small studio apartment he hated how small it was, but now that he is moping around he liked that his kitchen wasn’t that far away from the couch.  
The pizza was half-eaten and all his beer was gone when he noticed the sticker on the front of the box that showed his address and the order, that’s when he noticed the note.

‘Hope this is enough payment to get you to turn the sappy music off. Sorry someone broke your heart but some people need to sleep -Apt. C2’

“Shit” Chuck turned the music off and looked around until he found some paper and a pen, which was harder than he though

‘Dude I’m so sorry about the music, thanks for the pizza, it’s my favorite, and yes someone did break my heart, next time I’ll be more aware of the volume -Chuck in C3’ Chuck slipped on his coat because it was hanging next to his door and he didn’t want to put a shirt on. He walked over to his neighbor’s apartment and slipped the note under the door.  
He went back to his apartment and realized the door was locked “Of course” Chuck sighed, at least his phone was in his pants pocket  
“Hey, do you still have the key to my apartment, uh I locked myself out, can you come over and let me in, you can also get you stuff, thanks Bryce” Chuck sat down and leaned against his door “Vera? Can you hear me?” Chuck put his ear against the door “Sorry baby, I’m stuck out here”  
“You have a baby in there?”  
Chuck jumped “Oh um no, well kind of, it’s a cat”  
“Need help”  
“No, someone is coming with a key”  
“See ya around”  
“Yeah” Chuck barely got out as he watched this guy’s ass in his perfectly fitting jeans as he walked away. Chuck had no idea who he was, just that he was beautiful and lived on the same floor as him, and never took the elevator except the one time he was dog-sitting his sister’s puppy who straight up refused to use the stairs. Chuck used the puppy as an excuse to talk to him but still didn’t manage to ask him name, so he is still known as hot neighbor.

“Are you alive?” someone kicked the bottom of Chuck’s shoe, making him jolt awake.  
Chuck groaned as he stretched, “What time is it?”  
Hot neighbor looked at his watch “Eight”  
“IN THE MORNING?”  
“Yeah”  
“Oh what an asshole”  
“Sorry?” hot neighbor lifted an eyebrow  
“Not you, my ex, god I hate him, I’m going to be late for work and he is the only one who has a key, I fucking hate the person who owns this building and made these auto-locking doors”  
“Can I ask why you’re in the hall in dirty sweatpants and a coat in the middle of summer?”  
“I’m having a bad week”  
Hot neighbor pulled out his keys and unlocked Chuck’s door  
“Why the hell do you have a key to my apartment, I don’t even know your name”  
“It’s Casey and it’s the maintenance key, it can open any door, I copied it when he was fixing my broken shower for the third time”  
“Ah, well that would have been nice to know last night”  
“I asked if you needed help, you said no and I needed to get to work”  
“Where do you work?”  
“Paramedic”  
“Cool, um well thanks, I need to get to work, I do computer repair in case you were wondering”  
“See ya”  
“Chuck” he may have said too loud  
“It’s Casey”  
“Yeah, got that, I’m Chuck”  
“Hope your day gets better Chuck” he winked and Chuck hoped he didn’t hear his groan, cause fuck he was hot.  
Chuck regrets not looking to see what apartment he went into but he really needed a shower.

A few nights later Chuck could hear that his neighbor was home and he had a coupon so he ordered him a pizza, he may have asked the girl that worked in the office what his name was, it was John, so he ordered two pizzas and took one over to John’s but he panicked and just left it there and knocked before sprinting back to his apartment. He was still slightly embarrassed that the neighbor called him out for his broken-heart music.

Chuck thought he was dreaming when he opened his front door and saw hot neighbor standing there in only a towel and wet.  
“Is your shower working?”  
“Your naked” was all Chuck could think to say  
Casey growled and Chuck’s dick was so hard he was wondering how his brain was even working  
“My shower shut off again, is yours working?”  
“I haven’t tried it today, but um feel free to check? Or I can check”  
Casey pushed past Chuck and went into the bathroom, Chuck went over and stuck his head in the freezer to try and calm himself down. It didn’t work.  
And if he thought Casey looked good on a normal day, seeing him in his tight blue paramedic uniform after seeing him half-naked, Chuck thought he was going to pass out from all his blood rushing to his dick.  
“Thanks”  
“My pleasure” why did he say that  
“Seems like my apartment is the only one having shower issues”  
“Have you tried talking to Alex in the office?”  
“I would hope so, she is my daughter”  
“Oh, um well that’s nice” Chuck was having trouble breathing, why didn’t Alex say anything to him the multiple time he talked about how sex this guy was, he even used his name last time. Fuck “She is sweet”  
“Her mother’s husband owns this place and they gave me a good deal but I think he is the reason my shower doesn’t work half the time”  
“Well it seems like you go into work when I’m home from work so feel free to use mine anytime you want”  
“I’m only on night shift for three more days before I switch back to a normal schedule, but I’ll let you know, thanks again”  
“Hope you have a better day”

Chuck absolutely didn’t go straight to his bed and jack off, and he absolutely didn’t come in less than a minute….

Three nights later Chuck got excited when there was a knock at his door, he was expecting Casey but he was wrong.  
“What do you want Bryce?”  
“Came to get my stuff”  
“I want my key back too”  
Bryce tossed the key on the counter “Where is my stuff”  
Chuck pointed to the box on the floor “Don’t touch her” he glared when Bryce tried to pet Vera who was sleeping on top of her tower.  
“She is my cat too”  
Chuck laughed “I’d like to see you try and fight me in court for her”  
“I don’t want the flea ball”  
“You can leave now”  
“Thought you’d want to have one last go”  
“Not at all”  
“Come on Chucky”  
“You’re crazy”  
Bryce pressed himself against Chuck “I know you can’t resist me, did you already forget last week”  
“I can and I will” but before Chuck could push him away someone walked through the door that was still cracked open.  
“Who the hell are you?”  
“Daniel sweety what are you doing here?”  
“Followed you, I knew you were cheating on me”  
“Uh no, absolutely not””  
Daniel glared at him “We have been together three months”  
“Are you kidding me? We started dating in college and have been on and over for four years, I walked in on him with someone else last month and it wasn’t you. Not that I care anymore, but you both need to leave”  
“Fuck you” Daniel charged towards Bryce but he stepped aside making Daniel run into Chuck. It wasn’t until he stepped back that Chuck realized he had a knife. He looked down at his stomach, his shirt quickly turning red “Help” He grabbed towards Bryce but he took a step back, making Chuck fall to the ground. Chuck wasn’t sure what Daniel and Bryce were arguing about, but Daniel pulled Bryce out of there. The door slammed shut and Chuck thought they were gone but as he tried to stand to go look for his phone but he was shoved back to the ground. “Why are you doing this?”  
“I didn’t mean to stab you, but now that you’ve seen me”  
“I don’t even know your name, please don’t” Chuck screamed when he felt another sharp pain in his stomach “Please” he cried  
He wasn’t sure how many more times he was stabbed, he was going in and out of consciousness. 

“Chuck? Can you hear me?”  
“Casey?”  
“You just had to add a little drama to my last shift on nights didn’t ya”  
“I’m sorry”  
“It was a joke”  
“Am I going to die?”  
“Not on my watch”  
“I don’t have your watch” Chuck cried out in pain  
“Sorry, trying to get the bleeding under control before we load you up”  
“Westside Medical”  
“That’s the plan”  
“Sister Dr. Woodcomb” He started to sob at the thought of Ellie seeing him being brought in.  
Casey squeezed his hand “Calm down Chuck. You’ll be okay, I promise”  
The next time Chuck opened his eyes they were in the ambulance “Am I naked?”  
Casey gave him a questioning look “No”  
“I don’t want you to see me naked, well I do, but not like this”  
“Pain meds are working” The blonde girl Chuck didn’t even notice was there until she spoke.  
“Is Vera okay? Did you have to break my door?”  
“Vera was laying on your chest when we got there, I called Alex and she is going to get her cleaned up and take all ther stuff to my apartment and stay with her until I get home”  
“Thanks”  
“They called the hospital and told your sister you’re on the way”  
“She is going to be mad” Chuck was tired of crying but he couldn’t stop.  
“I think she is happier that you are alive”  
“Your eyes are pretty”  
Casey smiled “Thanks”  
“It’s nice to not be the one constantly being hit on by pain med filled men”  
Chuck looked over at the blonde “Have you seen him shirtless? It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen”  
The blonde laughed “Well we are at the hospital, so say your goodbyes”  
“I don’t want to say bye”  
“I’ll come chekc on you later”  
“Okay”

“I smell pizza” Chuck groaned  
“I brought you some”  
Chuck opened his eyes “Casey?”  
“Wanted to see how you were doing and let you know that Vera is doing well”  
“Does she like Alex? Sometimes she is picky?”  
“Yeah she seems okay”  
“Am I okay?”  
“You’ll live”  
“Can I have that pizza now?”  
Casey moved the bedside tray over Chuck’s lap and opened the lid of the pizza “Help yourself.  
“Supreme, my favorite”  
“I know”  
“How?”  
“You told me after I ordered one for you that my guess was right even though I didn’t guess I ask the pizza place what you normally order”  
“Oh my god, you’re my neighbor?”  
Casey glared at him “Yeah”  
“His name is John”  
“My name is John”  
“Are you twins?”  
“My name is John Casey”  
“Oh god”  
“And if your wondering, yes I heard you and your friend out on the balcony talking about hot sexy I am and how you want to pay the landlord to never fix my shower again”  
“Just suffocate me with a pillow”  
“Not one of my kinks”  
Chuck tried to pull the blanket over his head but all the tubes and lines attached to him got in the way.  
“Even if I didn’t hear that, you were hitting on me in the ambulance”  
“I’m so sorry”  
“Don’t be, it was nice, most people hit on my partner”  
There was a knock at the door and a few police officers and a man in a suit came into the room. “Hello Mr. Bartowski, I’m agent Reid, we have some questions”  
“I have nothing to say”  
“So you have no idea who did this”  
Chuck’s body started to shake and he felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest.  
“Hey, calm down Chuck”  
“I”  
“Do you have to do this right now?” Casey growled at the cops and the detective.  
“The sooner we ask the more detail he can tell us”  
Chuck shook his head “I can’t”  
“No one can hurt you” Casey rubbed his arm “You need to tell them”  
“What if he comes back”  
“We can guarantee he won’t hurt you again if you tell us who he is”  
“How can you promise something like that?” Chuck was now squeezing Casey’s hand really hard, he felt bad but he couldn’t seem to let go.  
“Tell us his name son,” one of the older officers said  
“His name is Daniel, but that’s all I know”  
“How did you meet him?”  
Chuck closed his eyes, the night flashing through his head again like a horror movie.  
“Was it an online date?”  
Chuck shook his head no.  
“We need more information”  
“Give him a fucking minute” Casey huffed.  
“Can I please be alone for a minute?”  
“Sir”  
“Please, just one minute, please”  
“We will be right outside the door”

“What’s going on?”  
“I know we don’t really know each other, but I need advice”  
“Okay”  
“My ex, his boyfriend, well one of them, he likes to sleep around”  
“Sounds like a great guy” Casey rolled his eyes  
“Well he came over to get some stuff he left at my place, we have been broken up for a while and a few weeks ago I fucked up and had sex with him again, and yes I know I’m stupid, but tonight he thought he could sleep with me again and I said no but he kept pushing, then this guy I’ve never seen before came in tried to stab him but he moved and the guy stabbed me, then they got in a fight and left, but the guy came back and kicked me a few times and I guess stabbed me a few times until I passed out”  
“Why can’t you tell them that?”  
Before Chuck could answer the door open again.  
“Who are you?” The officer said. Casey didn’t recognize him from the group that had just been in there “You need to leave the room”  
Chuck really wished his body would stop shaking. He gripped Casey’s arm “No, don’t leave me, please don’t leave me”  
The officer pulled out his gun  
“Bryce please don’t, I didn’t tell them anything, I promise, just leave”  
“Put the gun down, we are in a hospital, if you shoot Chuck, someone will hear”  
“I sent the other officers away, told them we went to college together and I could get him to talk, they will be back in ten minutes and unfortunately they will find two dead bodies”  
“Why are you covering for him, Bryce? There is no way you love him, you are incapable of love, you were cheating on him, now you’re risking everything for him? We have known each other for six years and you’re going to kill me” Chuck was proud of himself for being this brave with a gun pointed at him.  
“There is stuff you don’t know Chuck, Daniel is a powerful man, I didn’t know he was going to stab you, but you can’t tell anyone what he did to you”  
“Just walk away” Casey stood up, Chuck tried to stop him but he was way stronger. Bryce pointed the gun at him “I don’t know you, but I’ll shoot you”  
Out of the corner of his eye Chuck saw something in Casey’s hand, he didn’t look because he didn’t want Bryce to notice it. “Casey it’s fine, please don’t”  
“Why is he even here? Doesn’t the paramedics job end at the door”  
“We are friends”  
Chuck liked that Casey called him a friend, he just hoped they lived long enough to hang out again.  
“Are you the reason he pushed me away?”  
“Does it matter? You moved one, he has every right to move on too”  
Chuck’s ears started ringing when a shot rang out.  
“John?” Chuck yelled, then he realized Casey was holding a gun and Bryce was no longer standing.  
“I’m okay kid” Casey walked over and took Bryce’s gun before more cops came in.  
“I hit him in the vest, he will be fine” Casey held his hands up  
“No don’t arrest him”  
“He shot a cop” one of the officers put Casey in handcuffs  
“Bryce tried to kill us, he was there when I got stabbed” Chuck cried out  
“Why would an officer stab you?” The detective asked  
“He didn’t stab me, but he is my ex-boyfriend and his current boyfriend Daniel stabbed me”  
“Daniel Shaw?” The detective asked  
“I didn’t ask him for his last name as he was stabbing me”  
“He is a lawyer, he comes around the station all the time, and I’ve seen him and Bryce together a lot” The detective showed Chuck a picture on his phone  
“Yeah that’s him”  
“We still have to take you to the station” he looked over at Casey  
“Please don’t leave me alone, what if he comes back”  
“We will keep an officer at the door”  
“There was an officer at the door and Bryce still came in”  
“Shut up Chuck” Bryce groaned  
“Fuck you Bryce”  
“Good luck proving anything”  
“Damn if only someone recorded the conversation” Casey nodded over to the chair he was sitting in where his phone was and the screen was light up showing it was recording audio.  
Bryce pulled out of the officers hands that were holding on to him and lunged at Casey, one of the officers tased him and he fell to the ground before he got to Casey.

Chuck groaned in pain and he got off the couch, he wished the delivery man had a key.  
“You’re not Chinese food”  
“Sorry to disappoint”  
“But that’s my cat” Chuck reached over and grabbed the grey and black striped cat “Hi baby, I missed you” he kissed her head  
“She threw up on my bed”  
Chuck tried to cover his laugh “Sorry, she does that when she is upset” he took her over to her cat tower and put her down and handed her a few treats. “I can do your laundry if you want”  
“I can manage”  
“Thanks for taking care of her while I was stuck in the hospital”  
“It was no problem at all”  
“And thanks for getting arrested to save me”  
“They didn’t hold me long”  
“You also got my apartment cleaned”  
“I know a guy”  
“That’s scary” Chuck laughed  
“Have you heard anything about Daniel?”  
“No”  
“My sister wants me to move back in with her since he knows where I live”  
“I don’t think he is coming back here, he is probably long gone”  
“I hope so” Chuck looked over at the spot in the kitchen where he was stabbed “I’m scared”  
“How much Chinese food did you order?”  
“Enough for two, maybe three people”  
“Got any good movies?”  
“All the movies I have are good, that’s why I have them”  
“Pick one, I need to go grab a few things from my apartment, scream if you need anything”  
“You don’t have to”  
“I know” 

Chuck slowly made his way to the couch, he didn’t know what movie to watch so he just clicked on Twister, but he paused it until Casey came back, he had changed into more comfortable clothes and he was carrying a pillow and a small bag.  
“You brought a pillow?”  
“Gonna crash here”  
“The couch folds out into a bed, and it’s actually pretty comfortable”  
“Good to know”  
“Can I ask why you had a gun? I didn’t know paramedics carried guns”  
“They usually don’t, but I carry one when I’m off duty, used to be a Marine, and I like to be armed”  
“That explains the muscles”  
“You mean the ones you were drooling over in the back of the ambulance”  
“Oh god, I’m never going to live that down am I?”  
“If you keep blushing like that, I’m not gonna stop” he winked  
“Do you have a gun now?”  
“Yes”  
“I’ve never shot a gun before”  
“I have a thing for guns, I have quite a collection”  
“In your apartment?”  
“No, I have a storage room at a shooting range, I can take you sometime”  
“Uh, I um, I really hate guns”  
“They are less scary when you learn how to use them”  
“Probably, but when I was younger, my sister and I saw our dad get shot during a carjacking, well I was there but I didn’t actually see anything but I remember the sound ”  
“I’m sorry”  
“It’s okay, he survived, and it's oddly enough why my sister became a doctor, she helped keep him alive while we waited on the paramedics”  
“Ellie is a good person”  
“Have you met her?”  
“Yeah I had talked to her a few times, then we talked when you were in surgery”

Casey had stayed at Chuck’s for three nights, but then Chuck insisted he would be fine and told Casey to not come over after work.  
He had been in bed for a few hours tossing and turning, every time he was close to falling asleep he would hear a sound and jolt awake. He thinks the only reason he was able to fall asleep eventually was just from pure exhaustion.

Casey was also having trouble falling asleep, he was worried about Chuck, he wasn’t used to feeling like this about someone else. He has never had a close relationship with anyone and all his friends were more like acquaintances or coworkers. He always thought Chuck was cute, and he was flattered at Chuck hitting on him and he really enjoyed spending the last few days getting to know him, but for the first time ever he wanted a relationship with someone but he didn’t even know where to begin. He didn’t have much longer to think about it because he heard a scream, he got out of bed and turned off his fan to listen more closely in case he was just hearing things, then he heard it again. He grabbed his keys and his gun before running over to Chuck’s apartment.  
He was fully expecting to see someone else was in there, but it was just Chuck alone in his bed, every light in the apartment was on. He put his gun on the side table before sitting on the side of the bed, he gently rubbed Chuck’s back, trying to calm him without scaring him. “Chuck it’s me, Casey, you’re okay”  
It took a few moments before Chuck woke up, “Casey” Chuck’s eyes were filled with tears as he wrapped his arms around Casey’s neck and sobbed.  
Once Chuck fully woke up he realized what he was doing. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry”  
“It’s okay” Casey cupped his face in one hand, he leaned forward and kissed him, their lips barely touching before he pulled away. “Sorry” Casey stood up “Shit” hr cleared his throat.  
“Are you apologizing for not kissing me longer? Because that is all you should be saying sorry about”  
“No, I shouldn’t have done that”  
“I mean the moment wasn’t ideal because I look like shit, but”  
“You are in a vulnerable state right now, and I took advantage of the moment and”  
“And you should stop talking because I’ve liked you since the day you helped me move in because I got stuck in the elevator, and now you’re here in just a pair of well-fitting boxer briefs kissing me, so I’m all for it”  
“I’m going to go get some clothes on and I’ll be right back”  
“Fine, but I don’t agree”  
When Casey left, Chuck went to the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth, then he sat on the couch next to where Vera was sprawled out, he rubbed down her back as she stretched “I know it’s early, sorry” He rubbed her chin, making her purr.  
He jumped when the door opened and Vera scrambled away.  
“Didn’t mean to scare you, maybe you should get a guard dog instead”  
“Hey be nice, Vera is my child and I love her”  
“She has grown on me a little bit” Casey leaned down and rubbed her head as she rubbed on her leg.  
“Do you work today?”  
“No, they were nice enough to give me two weeks off to adjust to not being on twelve-hour nights anymore”  
“So are we going to talk about you kissing me or?”  
“Are we going to talk about you screaming in your sleep?”  
“I was stabbed, I’m allowed to have nightmares when they crazy man is still out there and my big strong neighbor is no longer sleeping on my couch to keep me safe”  
“When you get better I’d like to take you on a date”  
“Or hear me out here, we go on a date before that, like I can cook you dinner and we can watch a movie or something” Chuck shyly looked up at Casey “Or I could cook us breakfast and we can do more of that kissing you started earlier”  
“Clothes stay on” Casey smirked  
“Yeah, trust me, you don’t want to see me naked, I look like I was a voodoo doll”  
“I cut your clothes off three days ago” Casey held out his hand “Can we start with a little more sleep?”  
Chuck grabbed his hand, pulling himself up off the couch, his chest now touching Casey’s, he stared into his blue eyes, before closing his and kissing him

“Bartowski” Casey stepped back  
“Yeah” Chuck whispered  
“You’re bleeding” Casey looked down at his hand that was gripping Chuck’s hip  
“Shit” Chuck pulled off his shirt “Sorry”  
“Do you have a first aid kit?”  
“Yeah, Ellie buys me one every year, it’s under the bathroom sink”  
Casey went into the bathroom to grab it, Chuck laid down on his bed “There is blood on your shirt too, I’m sorry”  
Casey shrugged “It’s okay, we both kind of got carried away, I should have known better”  
Casey carefully cleaned up the few wounds that were bleeding and applied some gauze.  
“I still can’t look at myself in the mirror”  
“Luckily they are mostly minor wounds and will probably not scar”  
“That’s good, I think”  
“He stabbed you almost twenty times and none of them were bad except the one I’m guessing was the accidental one that nicked your kidney then he panicked and didn’t stab you deep enough for the rest”  
“Lucky me”  
“See the scar on my cheek?”  
Chuck ran his finger over the small scar on Casey’s right cheek “What happened?”  
“It was my first time being called to a scene of someone who had overdosed, the meds we give someone can cause them to jolt awake and there was a broken beer bottled next to him and he grabbed a shard and stabbed me with me, went right through, it all happened so fast none of us had time to react”  
“Oh my god, that’s scary”  
“I have many scares and some still cause nightmares, so I understand, but at the end of the day I’m still here”  
“That’s a good way to look at it” Chuck pulled Casey’s face closer and kissed the scar. “Are you going to sleep on the couch?”  
“Only if you want me to”  
“We should probably put the bloody clothes in the washer first”.  
Casey took his shirt off then grabbed Chuck’s shirt and took them over to the small washer and dryer that was tucked away in a closet, he started it then went ad laid down behind Chuck who scooted back so his back was against Casey’s chest.  
Casey wrapped his arms around him “Let me know if you are in pain”  
“A little but your very warm and it’s relaxing”  
“Goodnight Chuck” Casey kissed his shouler.  
“Night”

“Your shower is too small for two people” Casey rubbed his elbow that he just hit on the wall  
“If you keep insisting on coming over here to shower, then I’m going to insist that I join you”  
“Then I’ll insist on touching your dick”  
“Oh no, that would be horrible” Chuck laughed.  
“We will be late for work”  
“I’ll be late, you still have an hour” Chuck licked a water droplet that was running down Casey’s chest, his right hand wrapping around his cock.  
“No crying to me when you get fired”  
“No sir” Chuck moaned as Casey started to jack him off.  
They have only been together for three weeks but they have spent every moment possible together and a lot of it included no clothes.

“Casey” Chuck whispered  
“I’m at work”  
“He is here”  
“Chuck I can’t hear you”  
“Daniel is here”  
“Chuck where are you?”  
“Under my desk”  
“Hang up and call 9-1-1, I’m on my way”  
“Casey I” the line went dead  
“Bartowski?”  
Chuck dialed the police but before he could say anything he was pulled out from behind the Nerd Herd desk.  
“Hey buddy” Daniel smiled at him  
Chuck looked around and saw that all his coworkers and the customers were laying on their stomachs in the main aisle, their hand behind their heads, some of them crying. “Why are you doing this?”  
“You ruined my life”  
“You did that when you decided to stab me”  
“It was an accident”  
“The first time was an accident, coming back and stabbing me more, that was a choice”  
“I lost everything”  
“None of that is my fault, I didn’t do anything, you’ve been on the run for over a month, why come back now?”  
“I need this to end”  
“But if you kill me they will still be looking for you”  
“But I’ll be happy knowing that your gone”  
“Please don’t do this, I beg of you”  
“Sir put the gun down” Chuck saw a cop walking towards them, Daniel spun them so Chuck’s back was to his chest, arm around his throat and the gun now pressed against his head. “Put the gun down and we can all walk out of here”  
“No” Daniel screamed “No”  
“Chuck” Casey ran into the Buy More  
“Stay back” the cop called out  
“Oh look, the strong neighbor coming in to save the day again”  
“Let him go” Casey growled.  
“I can’t do that, he ruined my life, he took my boyfriend away from me”  
“I’m the one who shot Bryce and got him arrested, take me”  
“No Casey, no” Chuck glared at him “Please leave, I don’t want you to see this”  
“I’m not going anywhere”  
“Sir”  
“Sorry officer, I’m not going anywhere, I’m a trained sniper, I’m not leaving my boyfriend fate in anyone else's hands”  
“Daniel please just let me go and we can all walk out of here, I won’t press chargers I promise, please just move on with your life” Chuck reached for a pen in his pants pocket slowly while Daniel was more focused on the cops who was trying to talk him down.  
He locked eyes with Casey and mouthed I love you, Casey nodded slightly as to not draw any attention to what Chuck was doing.  
Chuck managed to get the end off the pen with one hand revealing a blade, he took a deep breath and jammed it into Daniel’s leg, he ducked down, a few shots rang out as he covered his head and tried to make himself as small as possible.  
“Chuck are you okay”  
Chuck looked up at his best friend “Oh my god Morgan” He pulled him into a hug “I’m okay, are you okay”  
“I might need to change my pants”  
“Yeah me too buddy” Chuck looked over to where Casey had been standing “John?”  
Chuck frantically looked around, he was kneeled down next to Daniel who was lying on the ground.  
“Is he dead?”  
“No” Casey’s hands were pressed to his chest.  
“Let me die” Daniel was choking on blood  
“As much as I would love that, I have to do my job and right now that job is keeping you alive”  
“You’re bleeding too” Chuck reached towards Casey’s bicep  
“I’m fine”  
“Sir come with me please, we have questions, let the paramedics do their jobs”

Chuck had been pacing back and forth in his apartment for almost an hour, he gave up on calling Casey after the fifth no answer. He told himself over and over that he was okay.  
There was a knock on the door, he ran over so quickly he tripped and slammed into the door “Dammit” he groaned as he opened it  
“Hi Chuck” Alex smiled just like her dad  
“Oh no”  
“Crap, uh he is fine, sorry I didn’t mean to scare you like that, he told me to come up and get you, his cell is dead and he doesn’t have your number memorized”  
“Where is he?”  
“He is getting cleaned up at work and wants us to meet him for dinner”  
“Um. yeah, okay, come in, I need to change”  
Alex walked in and went straight over to the small hammock hanging on the glass door to the patio where Vera was watching the bugs fly around by the porch light.  
“It’s funny that Vera likes you and your dad because she is so picky about humans, she still doesn’t like Morgan and he was there the day I adopted her”  
“He is a bit weird”  
“So your date didn’t go well? I didn’t get a chance to ask him at work today”  
“Well getting a gun held to your head is quite a distraction, but the date went really well actually, well enough that he will be joining us tonight”  
“It will be fun, your dad scares him”  
Alex laughs “He seems to scare everyone but you”  
“It’s hard to be scared of anyone with eyes that pretty”  
Alex rolled her eyes.

Chuck opened the door the second Alex put her car in park and ran over to where Casey was standing outside the restaurant and jumped into his arms “You need a portable charger or you need to memorize my phone number”  
“I’m sorry I worried you”  
“I was at the police station for hours, they told me Daniel died on the operating table but had no update on you and then they sent me home and”  
“I’m fine Chuck, and I’m sorry I worried you”  
“But your arm”  
“Grazed by a bullet Daniel fired, but I didn’t even need stitches”  
“I’m mad at you for showing up, what if something bad happened, I’d never forgive myself”  
“Can we not talk about it anymore, let’s just go in and have a nice dinner”  
“Okay” Chuck turned to head towards the door but Casey grabbed his arm and stopped him, making him turn back around to face him. “And Bartowski”  
“Yeah”  
“I love you too”  
Chuck smiled so big his cheeks hurt “You understood what I was saying”  
“Of course”  
“Think they would notice if we left and went home to do naked activities”  
Casey laughed “I’m starving, and we will need the energy because once I get you naked, I plan on spending many hours making you come over and over again” Casey whispered the last part into his ear making him shiver.

“You know, if you’re going to keep sneaking into my bed every night, you might as well just move in” Chuck turned around to face his boyfriend.  
“I was thinking we could move out of these shitty small apartments and find a bigger place, maybe with a yard”  
“And more space for more cats”  
“I think two is enough”  
“How rude” Chuck teased  
“Vera sleeps on my head and Serenity takes up most of the bed, there won’t be any more room for us if we get more cats”  
“We just need a bigger bed”  
Casey laughed “You’re insane”  
“Only slightly”


End file.
